General Information

Dacryodes igaganga is an evergreen tree growing around 15 - 25 metres tall. The bole is sometimes cylindrical, around 60 - 90cm in diameter, unbranched for more than half its height and slightly buttressed at the base[

].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of wood. The wood is also exported.
There is concern over the rate at which logging of this species has taken place and the decline in its habitat. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[

An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.

].
The flesh of the fruits in this genus usually adheres very strongly to the seed. When placed in hot (but not boiling) water at around 60 - 85°c the fruit softens and swells and all the flesh then slides easily off the seed[

The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.

].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The fruit contains an essential oil, the main components of which are alpha-copaene (16%) and alpha-humulene (14%).

The heartwood is pale brown or pink; it is not distinctly demarcated from the 2 - 4cm wide band of cream-coloured sapwood. The grain is straight or interlocked; the texture fine to medium. The wood is not very durable, being susceptible to attack by fungi, termites, dry-wood borers and marine borers. Sawing is rather difficult due to the presence of silica, causing severe blunting of tools; stellite saw teeth and tungsten carbide tools are recommended. The wood finishes, nails, screws and glues well; peeling and slicing properties are good. The wood is used for veneer, plywood, joinery and parquetry. It is also suitable for construction, furniture and cabinet work, vehicle bodies, ship and boat building, handles, ladders, carvings, toys, novelties, turnery, poles and piles. It can be used for paper making[